Nothing really changes after all

This was posted to LJ when I couldn't get inspiration for chapter three of English Lessons. This one is really just most of my favourite silver pair cliches shoved into one fic. Its not really OOC but it is kinda sappy and sugary...oh well, I hope you enjoy it!

Pairing: Silver

Rating: K

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own POT. However, I do now have tickets to the ATP world tour final in London for finals day so if I'm lucky I'll get to see Rafa play!!! yeah, that doesn't have much to do with POT but seeing as none of my friends were excited for me, I hope someone here will be!

By Jyra

'To know and love one other human being is the root of all wisdom'

Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited

Change. Short changed. A time for change. Change places. Change teams.

Ohtori Choutarouhad never liked change. This was no exception.

When he'd been five years old, his mother had announced they were selling the family holiday home in France. She's said they should be glad that the pretty cottage would be inhabited all year around and not just for a couple of weeks a year. Ohtori had nodded quietly at the dinner table but later in his room, he'd cried bitter tears. He wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was just selfishness. Or maybe it was the sinking, powerless feeling that he would never see that house again, never climb that old oak staircase, never open that funny mail box.

When he'd been 9, his father had given him a tennis racket and asked if he would like lessons. Ohtori hadn't really- he was happy with his violin but he'd wanted to please his father. Although he never said it, Ohtori suspected that his father had always wanted a slightly manlier son. Maybe that's why he had taken to Shishido so quickly...

Changing from elementary school to junior high had been hard but it had been something that Ohtori couldn't avoid. Hyotei was a big place and it wasn't long before Ohtori's height and overly polite manner had made him a target for some of the less savoury seniors. It didn't help that his tennis skills were average at best. Still, he'd joined the tennis club and the smile on his father's face had been more than enough to endure the taunts of the older boys in the changing rooms for the weeks that followed.

At that time, Ohtori had imagined that this was what his school career at Hyotei was destined to be like for the remaining three years. He couldn't see any chance for change but then he hadn't banked on a bratty, arrogant, egotistic, beautiful second year intervening.

'Geez, do you guys really have nothing better to do than bully some pathetic first year? How lame...'

Ohtoriraised his eyes from the ground to look at his saviour. The second years that had just before been taunting his about his lack of control on his serve where now looking rather unsure of themselves. In front of them stood Shishido Ryou, his regulars jersey draped casually over one arm. He was chewing gum and looked incredible bored with the situation if the half scowl/smirk was anything to go by. Pushing his way past the second year, he stopped in front of Ohtori.

'Move. You're in the way of my locker.'

Meeting his senpai's eyes, Ohtori smiled slightly inwardly before answering with a polite

'Yes senpai'

As Ohtori walked out of the changing room, he couldn't help but look back to get another glance of the second year. As he looked back, his eyes connected with Shishido's and it was only later he realised his senpai must have been watching his as well.

The teasing had stopped somewhat after that. After all, it was known throughout the school that Shishido Ryou was someone you didn't mess with. He was hot tempered, a fighter and perhaps most scarily, friends with Atobe to boot (not that either of them would ever admit it). Ohtoriknew many of the girls found him attractive and he could see why. Shishido was beautiful. Ohtori was inclined to think it had been the hair but even after he'd cut it, Shishido had still attracted more attention than most other boys.

Still, Ohtori's first year at Hyotei had been littered with little digs that had got less and less as his tormentors had realised Shishido was often lurking nearby. Even if Shishido's method of defending Ohtori had also involved insulting him...

'You'll lucky they keep you in the tennis team!'

'Geez, can you even play tennis? I don't think I've seen one of your serves go in-ever!'

'Maybe the coach is just feeling sorry for you.'

The second year and two third years laughed as Ohtori's serve again missed the box.

'Oy, first year you should just stick to collecting out balls! Watch this'

One of the third years tossed the ball and brought his racket down on it, sending it flying towards the unguarded Ohtori. Out of instinct, Ohtori turned his face, expecting the ball to hit his shoulder. However the supposed impact came and all Ohtori heard was the dull thud of a ball hitting the courts. Opening his eyes, his gaze was first met with long strands of brown hair.

'Shishido, what the hell are you doing?'

The third year called out, visibly annoyed. Shishido, never one to care for seniority, just huffed and walked off back to the regular's practise.

Later, when Ohtori was tidying the courts with the other first years, he spied Shishido sitting on a bench checking his racket strings. Taking a deep breath, Ohtori walked over him, careful not to tread too loudly and startle the other boy.

Um...Shishido-senpai...'

Shishido looked up, a blank expression on his face.

'I just wanted to thank you for...'

Ohtori could feel his face heating up as he started to ramble. He was, however cut off by Shishido's own words.

'Whatever. Guys like that annoy me. You should work on your serve. It's crap and if you don't improve it you'll never get anywhere in life.'

Ohtori was slightly taken back by the harshness in Shishido's tone and the condemnation that he was going to fail at life just because a yellow ball wouldn't fall in the correct lines. But then, Ohtori supposed, to Shishido it was. Tennis was everything. Trying to leave, tears already welling in his eyes and threatening to fall, he only just caught Shishido's last words, whispered more quickly and quietly than his insults, without the rough edge.

'They're just jealous of your power...'

The words were muttered more to his tennis racket than anything else but when Ohtori looked at Shishido, he was fairly sure the older boy was blushing.

That summer Ohtorihad spent every day working on his serve. He enlisted his father, determined to have Shishido notice him when he got back to school. And it had worked. Well sort of. In his second year, Shishido had started to seek him out, first at tennis practice and then sometimes around school. There had been that time when Shishido had come to return a sweat band during lunch, just before the ranking matches that made Ohtori a regulars and about a month before Shishido lost his place.

It was lunchtime and Ohtori was sitting in his form room eating with a couple of friends when there was a loud knock at the door. One of the girls close to the door made her way to it.

'Shishido-senpai?'

Ohtori heard her exclaim. Try as he might, Ohtori couldn't tear his eyes away from the door. Has Shishido really come to his form room? Was he here for...? No, Shishido talked to him at practice sometimes but that was all. Whenever Ohtori saw him around school, he acknowledge the second year but mostly he was too busy squabbling with Atobe or Mukahi...

'He's over there.'

The girl at the door was now indicating in Ohtori's direction. Did that mean? Yes, Shishido now strolled into the room, tennis bag hanging over one shoulder.

'Yo, Ohtori.'

He spoke, leaning against the table Ohtori was currently sitting at. Ohtori's two friends exchanged looks. It wasn't everyday that a third year regular just arrives in one's form room.

'Found these on the court yesterday. Thought you might need them.'

Shishido opened his fist to reveal the sweat bands Ohtori had spent the best part of the past night hunting for.

'Ah, thank you Shishido-senpai...'

As he took the bands from Shishido's warm hand, their finger's brushed and a little trickle of electricity made its way to Ohtori's cheeks which he was sure where once again bright red. His job done, Shishido hoisted his bag over his shoulder and made to leave. When he was half way towards the door, he stopped suddenly, turned back to look at Ohtori, before asking

'I'm heading to the courts for a few rallies with Atobe and Oshitari, you want to join?'

Of course Ohtori wanted to. Anyone in the school would want to spend their lunchtime playing tennis with Atobe. Most with Oshitari as well. Hell, to be offered even the chance to be on the same courts as a regular team member, let alone play with them was something many in Hyotei would kill for. But it was thought of spending lunch with Shishido, the knowledge that Shishido wanted to spend his lunch with him that made Ohtori smile as he quickly packed away his food, grabbed his tennis kit and joined Shishido as they walked towards the courts.

'You're serve has got better...'

Shishido had muttered as they had walked. Ohtori hadn't replied, he'd just smiled and blushed some more, hoping Shishido didn't notice. After all, Shishidohad been the reason he'd improved his serve in the first place.

However, it had only been when Shishido had been kicked off the regulars, when he'd chosen Ohtori to help him and when Ohtori had offered up everything he'd worked for for Shishido that they had become inseparable. They'd eaten lunch together, practiced together, done their homework together and hung out after school together. Ohtori had found he didn't really have time to hang out with anyone in his own year. The tennis club was like its own private social circle with the members interacting primarily with each other and various other junior high tennis players (Ohtori still remembered that day when the regulars' had bumped into the Seigaku team at the arcade. Seeing Tezuka Kunimitsu forced to compete in a dance mat competition with Atobe was something one does not forget easily. Seeing Tezuka win was even funnier.)

His classmates had come to expect that Ohtori would eat lunch with Shishido every day. Some of the girls were slightly annoying, wanting to know if Ohtori could fix them up on a date with Shishido. As far as Ohtori knew, Shishido never dated anyone in junior high. Once Ohtori had asked him why and Shishido had laughed saying between tennis, school and friends, when would he have time for a girlfriend? Besides, he liked hanging out with Ohtori more. Ohtori had found that when Shishido said things like that, he was a permanent shade of red. Sometimes he suspected Shishido said them just to see his turn into a human tomato. Of course, the all this led to rumours, not helped by Shishido's insistence that he take Ohtori out to dinner on his birthday. At first Ohtori had been worried. What if Shishido didn't want to be his doubles partner or worse still, his friend because of the gossip? Luckily, Shishidowas either oblivious to the chattering around him or he choose just to blank it out because nothing changed between them. If anything they were closer.

'Put this one of Choutarou.'

Shishido commanded from his place on the bed. It was Saturday evening and both boys were round Ohtori's house watching movies. Shishido always insisted they had movie nights at Ohtori's because he had a double bed and watching the TV was more comfortable there than in Shishido's lounge with its crinkly leather sofas and a brother who had a habit of wandering in and talking loudly just at the crucial moment.

Having set up the film, Ohtori returned to the bed. Shishido was already absorbed in the film and Ohtori settled down on the other side to watch. He wasn't quite sure when, or how but 15 minutes into the film, Shishido appeared to be much closer. Half an hour in and Shishido had somehow managed to rest his head on Ohtori's chest, all the time appearing engrossed in the film. And by 45 minutes, Ohtori's hand had found its way into Shishido's short silky hair.

But now Ohtori was a third year, vice captain of the tennis team and didn't much like the change at all. There was no Shishido to join him for lunch, no Shishido to find him in the corridors and no Shishido waiting for his at tennis practice. There was also no Hyotei D1. This year Ohtori was playing singles.

The court was lonely.

That was Ohtori's first though when he stepped out onto the court for Hyotei's first official singles match of the school year. Gripping his racket, he shook his opponent's hand over the net and returned to the baseline, awaiting the serve.

He was lucky his opponent was average at best because Ohtori was operating on autopilot for the first half of the match. Everything just felt wrong. It was only when the umpire called '3:2 Hyotei' and Ohtori glanced towards the rest of his team mates did he look up to the top of the stands and catch sight of a familiar cap. A second look confirmed what he had suspected. Shishido was there.

5 minutes later and the match was over.

Rushing past his congratulating teammates, Ohtori climbed two steps at a time to make it to the top where Shishido was smirking slightly, his cap low on his face.

'Shishido-san!'

Ohtori had exclaimed when he reached his former doubles partner.

'Choutarou'

Shishido had acknowledge as Ohtori had sat down next to him

'Shouldn't you be in school?'

Ohtori enquired. At this, Shishido tried to tug the cap even lower, before realising this would only be achievable if he had put it on the correct way round.

'Yeah well, it was boring anyway...your game was much more interesting.'

That was a lie; the game had been average at best, not like their old doubles games where anything was possible. Still, Shishido had come to see him play and when it was put like that, Ohtori though playing singles might not be so bad after all.

'You want to catch up with the rest of the old team after this?'

Shishido spoke, flicking a little bit of hair out his eyes. Smiling, Ohtori nodded.

'I'd like that very much Shishido-san'

'Or we could just go find a practice court now and hit a few balls...'

'I'd like that even more.'

Ohtori spoke and Shishido laughed. It was only as both of them turned their eyes back to Hiyoshi's game that Ohtori felt Shishido's hand slip into his own.

And then he knew- nothing really changes after all.

If anything, it gets better

A/N: Told you it was sappy...maybe I sahould write a PoT Brideshead parody? Wait, I bet next to know one has read the book so that idea is almost as bad as my The Illiad parody (I still might do that, can't you all see Atobe as Agamamnon, Yukimura as Helen and best of all, Shishido and Ohtori as Achilles and Patroclus? No, ok then...)